The young white men were pelted with missiles thrown from the angry crowd of 200 who had been waiting outside the inquiry in Hannibal House in Elephant and Castle, south London.

Protesters hurled abuse, shouting "murderers" and "racists" as the men walked swiftly down a ramp.

David Norris turns on a protester

As they did so fighting broke out between protesters and the men as they were attacked from either side of the ramp.

Hot coffee and bottles were thrown and one of the five, David Norris, traded punches and insults with demonstrators.

The men were bundled into a white van by police officers who protected the bottom of the ramp. The van sped away preceded by a police car.

Police created a cordon for the van to carry the men from the scene

Police made no attempt to smuggle the men out of a back door in the building, instead opting to control the crowd.

The Stephen Lawrence Family Campaign co-ordinator, Suresh Grover, moved to the front of the crowd and pleaded with them to stop the violence.

Eventually, the volatile crowd calmed down and dispersed.

Questioning completed

Fifteen minutes after the last witness, Gary Dobson, had finished giving evidence the crowd blocked the road outside the shopping centre above which the inquiry had been taking place.

There was a stand off with police as the thin white line of officers kept the demonstrators away from the ramp down which the men were expected to leave the building.

Scuffles broke out between demonstrators and police, but they died down as soon as the men were bundled away from the scene.

The window of a passing double-decker bus was smashed during the trouble.

Suspects statement

Before they left the men released a statement. It denied any involvement of the men in the murder of Stephen Lawrence and said the case had been twisted and sensationalised by the media.

The handwritten statement was headed: "The statement on behalf of all five of us."

The statement read: "In 1993 we were all arrested for the murder of Steven (sic) Lawrence, which we all vehemently deny.

"We do sympathise with Mr and Mrs Lawrence and the tragic loss of their son. We understand their quest to discover what happened to their son and why no one has been convicted of his murder.